4 ways Airbnb Hosts can save time

Great, you’ve listed your property on Airbnb. Now, it’s time to sit back, relax, and wait for the money to roll into your bank account. Easy, right?

Unfortunately, hosting and managing an Airbnb property is not that easy. Updating calendars, checking guests in and out, managing your housekeeping and other personnel – these are just a few tasks you have to deal with while running a short-term rental like Airbnb. Thankfully, it is possible to save time. Here we’ve listed four ways to do so.

1. Change your check-in process

Are you doing the check-in yourself, greeting your guests personally, and showing them your property each time? You’ve probably experienced waiting many hours for your guests to arrive due to delayed flights or bad time management. Would you rather spend your time elsewhere? Maybe it’s time to change the check-in process. There are two easy ways to check your guests in without having to be there yourself:

• Use a key lockbox. This is a box with a code that you can mount outside your property. The guests can easily access the box with a code and receive the keys without you being there to hand them over.

• Use a smart lock. A smart lock is a digital lock that works with an app. The guest downloads an app before arrival, then they can open the door with a few taps of their phone.

You might think that welcoming guests personally will ensure a five-star review, or is a required condition for being rated as a Superhost. However, this is not the case. Some guests may indeed prefer to meet you when they arrive, but others might feel uncomfortable and want the freedom to arrive in their own time, without having to update you.

2. Create a digital house manual

Are you tired of questions about how specific things in the property work? Creating a digital house manual, with pictures and videos that explain how to use devices and so on could be an easy solution. After all, you only need to create it once, then you can send the link to guests before they arrive. If you’d like some support to create your digital manual, Airbnb offers tools and tips to help.

Pro tip: Add a video for check-out so the guests know exactly what to do once they are ready to leave your home.

3. Use a Chatbot

Did you know that 70% of all guest questions are repetitive? Where do I find the WiFi code; how does the coffee machine work; What time do we need to check out… These are just a few examples of frequently asked questions. You could, of course, be available 24/7 to answer all of them, but you can also use simple, contemporary alternatives.

Chatbots are a great tool to help you answer questions and are an increasingly popular way to obtain assistance – particularly among young people. You don’t need to be available all the time, and your guests receive the answers they’re looking for. Are you reluctant to use a chatbot? Just remember: there is no quicker way to serve your guests!

4. Automate manual processes

Are you still using Excel spreadsheets for your admin? Then you need to know that you can automate specific tasks. There is a whole ecosystem of tools for vacation rental hosts that can automate most parts of the guest journey. In our previous blog, we listed three tools that can help you save time.

How much time do you want to spend on your Airbnb?

Managing a vacation rental property can be a very time-consuming business. However, there are options to save time at all stages of the guest journey. Most are aimed at digitizing and automating your management processes. These solutions might require some initial expenditure, but with the time you save, they’re worth it. Rather than your Airbnb property taking over your life because of all the tasks that need doing, you’ll become the boss of your own agenda again. Allow yourself to make some relatively small investments, such as in a Property Management System, a smart lock, and automatic customer support (a chatbot), and you’ll save time without cutting the quality of the service provided by you as an Airbnb host.

Curious how HolidayHero’s guest experience can help you save time? Request a free trial!